, 1887-05-12
WASHINGTON GOSSIP.

WASHINGTON GOSSIP.
STORIES OF MEN AND THINGS AT
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL.
A New Work by Hay and Nicoiay-Su-
preme Court Justices-Thcir Dignity,
Present and Past-Tho improvements
Upon tho CapitoI-sam Cox's Book.
Especial Correspondence
WASHINGTON, April 20.
dropped into Marshal Nicolay's office at
the supreme court this morning and looked
for a moment at his systematic arrangement
of the Lincoln papers. Every precaution is
taken against fire, and they are cared for as
though each leaf was made Of gold. The
chests in which they were packed at the
White House on Lincoln's death are kept
here, and the most important OF the papers
are copied All are analytically arranged,
and Mr.. Nicolay can put his hand upon any
paper at any moment. These papers will be
published after the biography OF Lincoln has
been completed in The Century They have
been gathered together in a separate work,
edited and arranged, and this new work is to be
|
1t will consist of from three to five volumes,
each about the size Of the ordinary law book,
and will be sold by subscription. The Cen
| tury company has contracted for the work,
and IL will be put forth In good shape.
s"s
! Speaking of the supreme court, it is the
most dignified body in the make up of our
government. The court room is as solemn as
a church, and the gray whiskered negroes
who act as messengers would make monu-
mental funeral mutes. The stately justices
never appear during the session without their
black gowns, and, however much they smile
Off the bench. it is rarely indeed that they
grin while sitting upon II. The court opens
promptly ut IL, and the retiring room where
| these justices assemble few moments before
| this time to put on their robes Is directly
across the hall from the court room. This
hall is the main corridor of the Capitol, and IL
is usually filed from morning until night
with a crowd going this way and that. Just
before the judges cross IL four Of these digni-
fled colored messengers Of tho supreme court
station themselves ut the doors on either side,
Nnd when 12 o'clock arrives they stop the
crowd in the hallway and keep the space be
tween the doors clear until the judges go by.
| At IL o'clock Marshal Nicolay comes out of
the court room and crosses this hall, and
taking the hand of Chief Justice Waite leads
him across IL. The other judges follow, and
the whole forms u remarkable ceremony
which have never seen described in q news
paper Going into the court room the judges
all stand before their chairs until the clerk
cries out I'm a hoaise voice:
"Oyezl Oyezl Oyez All persons having
business before the honorable supreme court
of the United States are admonished to draw
near and give their attention, for the court Is
sd t,l lat. ,,,l
this honorable court"
Before the clerks get through with this the
Judges take their seats aud business immedi-
Itely begins. They hold their sessions about
four hours every day, and they are about
900 cases behind hand. Four OF these judges
are now ready for retirement, and 1t is
strange TO a lazy man to see them working
away here on the bench day after day when,
by saying the word, they could have nothing
to do and receive the same salary for the re-
mainder of their lives Ten thousand dollars
year for nothing is pretty good pay, and
these judges have grown fat on big salaries
and little worry. There is not an unhealthy
man among them, and the weight of the nine
will average nearly 200 pounds each.
80
One of the pages who waits upon the SUI
preme court Is one OF the hand,omest boys
have ever seen. He attracts the attention of
all strangers. He is about 10 years old, and
he has face like that of one of the cherubs Of
Raphael. Long, faxen curling hair falls
down upon his forehead and curls up upon
his neck behind. HIS fresh, fair complexion
| forms q strange contrast to the wrinkled
| faces Of these fat, old justices, and he moves
about the court room looking rather out
| of place amid so much solemnity and dignity
| Speaking of the dignity of the supreme
4 gfatalu in, fh. act
chan it is now, and there Is picture in the
retiring room across the hall of Chief Justice
John Jay in gown of black, faced with
scarlet At one time IL was question In the
minds of the court as to whether such gowns
were ever worn and whether this was not
a fanciful idea of the artist. A grandson
of John Jay settled the fact by bringing forth
the identical gown and showing it to the
court When Jay was chief justice knee
breeches were de riguer, and silk stockings,
with low shoes adorned with great buckles,
were worn by all the judges. They wore
also white wigs with cues at the end, and
Chief Justice Taney it said to have been the
first justice who gave "a decision in panta-
| looms. 80
The national Capitol building is fast chang
ing, and there is an army Of workmen engaged
upon the construction of the new terrace.
am told at the architects office that the
Improvement will to completed by June,
1888, and to-day looked over the designs for
il. The improvements raise the Capitol
practically one story higher. They make
II look larger and grander than it ever has
before, and it will continue to be by all odds
the grandest capitol building in the world.
The Capitol Of the past sat rather squat upon
the ground 1t was elevated, it is true, upon
hill about 800 feet above Pennsylvania
| Avenue and this elevation made it's pro-
portions show to good advantage. For the past
few years the workmen have been continually
laboring to add a portico or terrace OF
marble, about thirty feet wide and from ten
to seventeen feet high, around the side facing
the city. Underneath this terrace have been
built rooms, and the whole terrace adds about
100 rooms to the Capitol. Some of these